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Washington, D.C. – U.S. Rep. Lloyd Smucker (PA-16) issued the following statement after the government funding bill passed the House of Representatives:

“Every child deserves a loving home. That is why I am glad today’s government funding bill included my bipartisan legislation to help states identify ways to expedite foster placement of children with family members. Thousands of Pennsylvania children spend time in foster care each year, and countless family members are willing and eager to accept them into their home. I’m hopeful this provision will be included in a final funding bill and will be signed into law.

“This legislation also includes an important two-year reauthorization of community health center funding. These organizations provide affordable, quality health care to more than 27 million Americans, and play a leading role in the fight against the opioid epidemic. This reauthorization is critical for the six community health centers that serve our district.

“Finally, this legislation fully funds our military. Brave men and women who volunteer to defend our nation should have the resources and tools necessary to do their jobs effectively, and to keep them as safe as possible. U.S. Secretary of Defense Jim Mattis today urged Congress to provide the funding necessary to ‘ensure our military lethality is sufficient to defend our way of life.’ Congress must answer that call.”

BACKGROUND

On June 8, 2017, Rep. Smucker introduced the bipartisan Reducing Barriers for Relative Foster Parents Act with Rep. Terri Sewell (D-AL). That legislation passed the House on June 20, 2017, but was never brought up for a vote in the Senate. You can read Rep. Smucker’s op-ed on this legislation in the Washington Examiner here.

Last week, Rep. Smucker urged House Speaker Paul Ryan to prioritize community health centers. Joining a number of his colleagues in writing to the Speaker, Rep. Smucker said:

“Community health centers across the United States have delivered affordable, accessible, and quality primary health care to patients, regardless of their ability to pay, for more than 50 years. They serve more than 27 million individuals in almost 10,000 urban and rural communities by caring for the whole person, bringing together medical and behavioral health with pharmacy services. As part of this work, they provide preventative care and cancer screenings, treat chronic conditions, and are on the forefront of helping fight the opioid epidemic. They are serve our nation’s veterans, providing care to over 330,000 veterans last year alone.”